Your View: The Madeiran Feast: Always Move Forward

The Festa da Sagrado Santissimo Sacramento, our Madeiran Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, is a holy devotion to the Sagrado Santissimo Sacramento by our ancestors in Madeira and continuing in America. It began as fulfillment of a promise for a safe arrival in America by four Madeiran immigrants during an ocean storm.

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By NAZARE ABREU

southcoasttoday.com

By NAZARE ABREU

Posted Jul. 30, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By NAZARE ABREU

Posted Jul. 30, 2014 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

The Festa da Sagrado Santissimo Sacramento, our Madeiran Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, is a holy devotion to the Sagrado Santissimo Sacramento by our ancestors in Madeira and continuing in America. It began as fulfillment of a promise for a safe arrival in America by four Madeiran immigrants during an ocean storm.

As America and the world changed, so has the Madeiran Feast of the Blessed Sacrament. Although it has become more Americanized, the religious aspects have remained. On Thursday, prayer services are held in the Immaculate Conception Church and at the monument on the Madeiran Feast Grounds. On Sunday, a beautiful Mass is held at the Immaculate Conception Church attended by the Madeiran Festeiros, wives, families and friends. The past generations continued life in America with faith in God and surviving life tragedies. "Sempre Para Frente," meaning "Always Move Forward."

Our paternal grandfather, Francisco Abreu, immigrated to Rochester, New York, around 1910 with our grandmother, Filomena Fernandes Abreu, and our paternal bachelor Abreu uncles, leaving a baby girl in Sao Roque and a family-owned, religious gift shop, Loja da Calassa, in Funchal. Five years later, our Abreu grandparents had four American-born children and owned a home in Rochester, N.Y. Tragedy struck while Francisco was working in a Rochester factory — he was accidentally electrocuted and died, leaving behind our pregnant grandmother with the four American-born children in Rochester and the daughter in Sao Roque. While our great-grandfather prepared to go to Rochester to bring our grandmother home, he had a heart attack and died. The factory later made monthly payments to Sao Roque until the children became adults. "Sempre Para Frente."

Our maternal grandfather, Joao Quintal, immigrated to New Bedford around 1920, leaving a pregnant wife, Maria Veloza Quintal, and a 2-year-old daughter in Santa Cruz. In 1921, the immigration laws changed. Our grandmother and daughters could not come to America. Our grandfather should have returned to Santa Cruz. This separation led to a divorce. Our grandmother later married a family friend, an Englishman, Ernest Beazley, an engineer who owned an electronics shop in Funchal.

During a visit to Santa Cruz, the girls, 3 and 4 years old, were not returned to our grandmother and they lived with our grandfather's brother and wife, who were mean to them. An educated school teacher wrote to our grandfather about the terrible situation. Because the immigration laws had changed, our grandfather went to Milwaukee to work for more money to bring the girls to America. Within two weeks, our grandfather contracted pneumonia from the very cold Milwaukee winter but insisted on going to work. Our grandfather passed out and was locked in the cold mill. He was later taken to a Milwaukee hospital, where he died.

Since there was no more money going to Santa Cruz, the girls, now about 9 and 10 years old, were returned to our grandmother. They had a better life with our grandmother and our English step-grandfather. Our grandfather had taken out a life insurance policy and the money was given to the girls when they became adults. "Sempre Para Frente."

When our parents met each other at the Festa de Livramento in Camara de Lobos and became engaged, our mom told our dad that she would go to America only if they went together. She never forgot our grandparents' separation and divorce. Our parents were married in a civil ceremony, living apart with their families until special permission granted from the American Consul in Washington, D.C., to come together because our dad was American-born.

They were married in Sao Pedro Catholic Church, leaving for America the same day. Our mom and her sister were pried apart by our dad and our aunt's fiance so our parents could board the ship. Within a few months, our aunt married her fiance, immigrating to Brazil. Our mom and aunt corresponded frequently but never saw each other again because they never wanted to say goodbye again.

It is now 10 years since our beloved dad, John Edward Abreu, who would have been 100 years old, passed away, and nine years since our beloved mom, Mary Dolores Quintal Abreu, who would have been 96 years, passed away. Our beloved parents live in our hearts. We all feel their presence at the Festa da Sagrado Santissimo Sacramento at services and Mass in the Immaculate Conception Church and at the Madeiran Feast Grounds.

Since our dad first served as a Festeiro in 1951, our third- and fourth-generation men have served as Festeiros. All Madeirans attending the Madeiran Feast are grateful to God and prior generations for their faith and courage in immigrating to America so that future generations could have better lives, and continuing amidst tragedies in their lives. "Sempre Para Frente."